When asked what attributes to ageing skin, most would easily throw out answers like a “lack of collagen”. But there’s so much more to that than just collagen and elastin. Bone loss occurs, changing your basic bone structure; constant facial movements and expressions result in wrinkles not just in the skin, but in the muscles themselves! Facial ageing and muscles? They’re definitely a very real thing.

Anyone beyond 40 is no stranger to seeing a different face in the mirror over time. First, there was a slight loss of firmness in the skin… then some fine lines around the eyes and mouth… deeper lines … wrinkles… holy cow, is my jaw sagging now?

Credit: http://freestocks.org

Atrophy, not a trophy

Atrophy is a far cry from its similar-sounding brother… what’s atrophy, really? Simply put, it’s the decrease in muscle mass (wasting away of the muscles, if you will), and this happens in the face as well — resulting in (possibly early) facial ageing.

When we were young…

We had strong bones, toned muscles, and beautiful cheeks. These were thanks to the connective tissues under the skin—tissues that contain tons of collagen fibres (for support) and elastic fibres (for strength and facial flexibility).

As we age, these fibres shrink and deteriorate, along with our muscles, bones, and nerves. They lose mass (or volume), strength and elasticity. This is atrophy, and while the biggest changes appear in our 40s or 50s, they usually begin in the mid-thirties and carry on till we’re older.

And as this happens, our skin starts losing its legendary collagen and firmness. Together with the changes that our bones along our jaws, cheeks and brows go through, we begin noticing sags in our facial features (and self-confidence).

Lifestyle behaviours like smoking, alcohol can also influence muscle atrophy. Even excess sun exposure can result in fibres that can no longer ‘recover’ or ‘bounce back into place with resiliency’, and thus sag.

But guess what? Exercise helps!

Muscles & facial ageing? Kill it with exercise

Credit: Matheus Ferrero

As we said, most focus on “the loss of collagen” and search for treatments that help stimulate collagen growth to help firm skin. Which is great! Why not boost it for longer-lasting, more effective results with some targeted treatments for the facial muscles as well?

Porcelain’s Cryotherapy Intensive (or more recently renamed Arctic ToneTM) is an award-winning treatment that helps people with anti-ageing concerns.

And here, let’s go technical.

Arctic ToneTM: Features for reversing time

Low-Frequency Current

This super-lifting treatment stimulates facial muscles with a patented 4Hz low-frequency current. It sounds terribly painful, but it is not! What the current does is to tone and stimulate the skin’s muscle fibres comfortably — energizing and elevating the facial muscles. The result is a smoother, firmer and more youthful-looking complexion. What you just did there? A good, intensive workout for your facial muscles.

Deeper Stamp Depths

Your skin absorbs products even more intensively now not just with Iontophoresis… Arctic Tone also features deeper Cryostamp depths (from 0.25mm to 0.5mm) for more even more targeted results like pore/scars reduction and skin brightening. Deeper stamp depths* simply mean ingredients penetrate the skin more intensively, plus they address deeper scars as they can stimulate tissue repair further down.

It’s pretty simple and no rocket science:

Low Frequency + Lower Temperatures = Firmer, Toned Skin

Iontophoresis + Deeper Stamp Depths = Brighter, More Nourished Skin

*Note: A higher stamp depth may require longer downtime and may not be suitable for sensitive skin.

Arctic ToneTM: Benefits

Credit: Taylor Boggs

Had enough of science lessons? Us, too.

To cut the long story short, the treatment does do what you know will help with facial ageing:

Arctic ToneTMwill stimulate collagen and elastin production. But it does more than just that. It also stimulates facial muscles, thus toning them. We like to call it exercise for the face.

Milia seeds are a skin condition that can happen to anyone at any time in life. They are most often seen in newborns and can be expected to rapidly disappear in these cases. The biggest problem with milia occurring in infancy is panicky parents, who do not know how harmless and temporary it is. Milia may not be so temporary when adults get it. In fact, these unsightly blister-like bumps can sometimes be permanent without intervention.

Milia visibly manifest in tiny blister-like protrusions on the skin. This can occur in anyone, regardless of age, sex, or race. Those on infants usually disappear over a brief period, but on adults, can be a long-term cosmetic problem. This condition is not dangerous, and it is officially unknown if there is a relationship to another underlying condition. Milia is one of the most misunderstood of all health conditions, but in itself, appears harmless by all reports.

Causes of Milia Seeds

The truth is that no one knows the causes with certainty. It is widely believed that this condition is due to an exfoliation problem when tiny flakes of dead skin clog the pores. Our research indicates that this is likely only half of the equation. The other half is an excess of cholesterol in the skin, where the body frequently deposits its excess cholesterol. This, in turn, leads us to a third contributing factor, which is sunlight deficiency. A body removes excess cholesterol in the skin through sunlight, which helps converts it into vitamin D3.

Here are some of the other causes of Milia Seeds:

trauma to sweat ducts

radiotherapy (radiation)

sunscreens

topical corticosteroid use

genodermatoses (genetics)

Home-Care for Milia Seeds:

Credit: Anthony Tran

For those who want to care for them themselves, we recommend:

Take frequent showers

Exfoliate the skin

Supplementation with niacin is the single most effective treatment for some sufferers

Avoid heavy facial cosmetics

Get moderate sunlight exposure frequently

Reduce high cholesterol foods

Supplement with biotin, because many sufferers find that biotin supplementation alone cures their milia

CoQ10 is produced by the body during intense exercise and is found in meat and fish. The body uses it to emulsify oils and increase energy. Emulsifiers make oils water-soluble (like soap), which assists in its removal, thus reducing milia.

Treatment for Milia Seeds:

Credit: Aiony Haust

Extractions are the key to porcelain skin.

Director Aesthetician, Jenny Teng, who has had over 17 years of experience as an aesthetician, explains.

“Throughout my career, there is one core finding in my approach to effective skincare treatment. That is the thorough deep cleansing of the skin using specific extraction techniques for different skin problems. It has been my mantra and Porcelain’s mantra. With proper deep cleansing, nutrients from the products we use can penetrate much easily into the dermis and that is what makes Porcelain facials different.”

Porcelain’s Director Aesthetician has been known widely for her skills to remove milia seed through extractions. Find out more about Precision Facial and how our Director can help your skin.

Blog Reviews by Clients:

“Despite the red spots, I was happy. No, ECSTATIC. My skin was not only silky smooth but BABY SOFT! Every painful moment through the extraction that I tried to trace back, was well compensated with the pure glow and light that I was looking myself in the mirror.” – Grace Lim

“Jenny then starts working and she left no pore untouched. Every single one of my pores was pulled, poked, squeezed and some, multiple times. I held a hand-mirror as she worked; explaining her meticulous process at the same time. I looked on with an amalgamated mix of excitement, surprise and embarrassment. Out of my pores came deep-seated milia seeds (oilseeds) and gunk produced by my over-active sebaceous glands.” – Nicolas Travis

“When the redness subsided, my skin was smooth as a baby’s bottom. Well, maybe not that smooth but smoother and clearer than it had been in years. Some of the pigmentation was also considerably lighter and I was loving my new glowing Photoshopped complexion. In fact, I’m so sold that I’m willing to go through the entire ordeal all over again.” – Mother Inc, Daphne Ling

What are Milia Seeds?

Pretty as they sound, these are not flower seeds. Also known as oilseeds, milia seeds are keratin-filled bumps that usually develop around the eye and nose area. They’re the bane of every quest to silky smooth skin because they cause a rough and uneven skin texture. Commonly found in people of all ages, they form when the skin does not slough off normally and get trapped in pores. Not so pretty now, are they?

What Causes Them?

Milia seeds are often caused by overly rich creams or oil-based skin care products. For some people, they are hereditary or caused by hormonal changes. Certain medications and pollutants can also be contributing factors. However, before you start panicking about those little white bumps on your face, do note that these are fairly harmless.

How To Prevent Them?

Avoid using creams that are too rich for your eye area as it might cause pore congestion. Rich concealers are often silent causes as people often use them to cover up dark eye circles. Consider using an oil-free lotion or cream, or possibly change products altogether, as an allergy may also be a cause. Sunburns may also cause damage leading to the cysts, so be sure to wear sunblock if burning is a problem. Most importantly, keep your hands off your face to prevent excess bacteria from getting on it!

How To Get Rid Of Milia Seeds?

Common ways include the use of a topical retinoid cream such as tretinoin, tazarotene or adapalene; removal with a sterile lancet or scalpel followed by the use of a comedone extractor, a tool used to remove whiteheads and blackheads; a series of fruit acid peels or microdermabrasion procedures; and carbon dioxide laser treatment. You should consult a dermatologist or aesthetic specialist for the appropriate course of treatment. Most importantly, do not try to remove them by squeezing them yourself, as it will very likely lead to scars.